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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27242491">talking about gender is a valid distraction tactic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarsneezes/pseuds/rarsneezes'>rarsneezes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tales of the Abyss, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dragon AU, Fantasy AU, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:08:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27242491</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarsneezes/pseuds/rarsneezes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A dragon climbs through Jade's window. Jade deals with the problem.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jade Curtiss &amp; Hikari | Mythra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>talking about gender is a valid distraction tactic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>we've been kicking around dragon au for a while and even though i wouldn't even include this in the full fic (should i write the full fic???) i wanted to fuck around and chill after finishing ch3 of 24.8 lol so i poked at this idea for a bit</p><p>also can you believe......... jade&amp;mythra is a tag wrangled ao3 tag now.............. Incredible</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moon begins traveling downwards from its apex, shifting the rays of light cast through the open window just enough that the magic gathered around the pot Jade was stirring shifts. “Ah,” Jade says to himself, and leans back, extracting the stirring stick and setting it to the side. “That should probably sit overnight, anyway.” He makes sure his place is marked in his book, and then reaches over the worktable to close the window so that none of the local wildlife can get any ideas about knocking his cauldron over while he sleeps. Not that any of the local wildlife is <em>going </em>to come anywhere near his house, considering, but Jade would still hate to lose a potion with ingredients this hard to find to something as stupid as<em> leaving the window open </em>when he has no reason to.</p><p>He’s just closed the window when something trips one of his wards. Backyard, coming in from the forest… Hold on. He straightens against the shiver that goes down his spine, completely unrelated to the ward or the fact it has been tripped. What reacts in him is completely internal, old instincts firing in his gut as warning. But there’s no <em>possible </em>way another…</p><p>“A wyvern, maybe,” Jade says to himself as he dismisses the possibility. He tugs his hair gently out of the ribbon he had it tied back in as he moves to investigate. He prefers his hair down, but a stray hair in a potion could ruin the whole thing. “I’ve gotten false signals from wyverns before. But why…”</p><p>A crash, further out into the library. The clunk of the back window slamming shut, as if something dislodged the tin he had propping it open. The subsequent sound of a pile of books tumbling to the floor makes a growl rise in his throat unbidden. He’s already moving.</p><p>He takes the six steps down from his workplace in two great strides, turning the corner into the library proper. Bookshelves make winding pathways throughout the space, confusing to most everyone else, but Jade could walk them in his sleep. That’s half of why he doesn’t bother magicking the lamps lit. The other half is that the moonlight is frankly more than enough for him to see by.</p><p>And there, waiting for him beneath his window, is <em>a dragon.</em></p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding me.”</p><p>The dragon is… small enough it’s probably still within the first hundred years of its life, landing somewhere between large cat and medium dog. Its scales are white, its horns golden, and little teal accents pattern across the scales. It’s very pretty. If Jade cared. He doesn’t.</p><p>He reaches down with one hand to distract it, chuckling to himself when it bites his finger and he halfshifts just enough to give it a mouthful of scales and talon. It hisses indignantly as its fangs slide uselessly off his own scales instead of sinking into vulnerable human flesh, like he’s sure it wanted. With his other hand he picks it up by the scruff of its neck and holds it up to examine better.</p><p>“Hey, hey!!” it says kicking its feet uselessly. “Put me down!”</p><p>It’s old enough for speech, which means Jade discards his theory of <em>extremely baby dragon </em>stumbling into his territory with great relief.</p><p>“Explain what you’re doing in my house, first,” Jade tells it, meeting its eyes. They flash gold at him. “Did your parents never teach you its extremely rude to sneak into another dragon’s territory?”</p><p>“Listen,” it insists.</p><p>“I’m listening,” Jade tells it.</p><p>It kicks its legs again, flicking out its tongue in annoyance as it glares at Jade, but it sure doesn’t offer an explanation for itself.</p><p>“Just—put me down, we can talk about this.”</p><p>“I’m not sure I’m in the mood to talk to rowdy children, tonight,” Jade decides, stepping over the pile of books and towards the back door. He can just escort it out. “I already have to clean up the mess you made.”</p><p>“I’m not a kid!” it protests, still dangling from Jade’s grip as he walks.</p><p>“Uh-huh.”</p><p>“I’ve been away from home for years now!”</p><p>“And how old are you?”</p><p>“Twenty.”</p><p>“Gross, a <em>teenager.</em>” He exaggerates a gag. The magic in the dragon he’s holding shifts, and he grips it tighter, other hand snapping up to hold its legs still. “Don’t transform,” he hisses. “We don’t need this getting awkward.”</p><p>“Then let me <em>go</em>, old man!”</p><p>“Rude! Clearly, your parents <em>didn’t </em>teach you manners. At what point did I say I was a man?”</p><p>“I--” The dragon splutters a few times, but has stopped struggling in its shame.</p><p>Well, he supposes since he’s making a fuss about it, he might as well return the favor. “What about you, since we’re talking about it? Made up your mind yet? Though I must say, I’ve never met a dragon who was sure before they were ten—”</p><p>“I told you, I’m twenty!” It turns its head to glare at him. “Also she/her, for the record.” She sniffs, indignant. “What about you?”</p><p>Jade grins. “Oh, you were right the first time! I just wanted to keep you distracted.”</p><p>“What!?”</p><p>They’re at the border of his village. He very swiftly tosses her out into the field.</p><p>“Don’t come back!” he calls, cheerfully. “I won’t be as nice, next time.”</p>
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